I discovered Kokopelli at the Grand Canyon. After the first day's exploration, I wanderedinto one of many gift shops on the South Rim. On one of the displays, I saw a happy dancing figure made of metal, in vivid colors, with a stone base. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew I had to buy it.

From then on, I was hooked. I started buying Kokopelli everything – switchplates, a sand art clock, pictures, salt and pepper shakers, stuffed toy Kokopellis, Kokopelli jewelry... I furnished a whole room in our house with this stuff. I bought countless items at the Grand Canyon and continued my obsession via Ebay. My Ebay ID did, and still does, contain the word Kokopelli. Over the years since I first fell in love with him, he has further permeated gift shops around the country – not just the Southwest. So, here's the story of the origin of Kokopelli and the different viewpoints as to what he/she/it was.

The Legend of Kokopelli

There are many theories about who Kokopelli was. Some believe he did not exist, some think of him as a deity, and others believe that he was a real person who walked the earth. The name Kokopelli is thought to be of Zuni/Hopi origin and may be translated as “kachina hump”. The Hopi “kachina” is associated with fertility and rain, has a hump and a long snout, and was originally thought of as phallic. Kachinas are supernatural beings who serve as intermediaries between the gods and man to bring rain, fertility, and good health.

Pictographs and Petroglyphs

Kokopelli was found on pictographs (paintings on stone) and petroglyphs (etchings in stone) in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico as far back as 200 A.D. The drawings and carvings were primarily done by the Anasazi, Mogollon, Sinagua, and Hohokam peoples. Today, Kokopelli still appears in Hopi and Zuni rituals.

Common Themes/Representations of Kokopelli

- humpbacked flute player- fertility God- human being who was a "player"- good luck charm- rainmaker- symbol- music man

Whatever he may have actually been, or not been, he is the symbol of fun and prosperity for me. I can't help but smile when I see his image, and think of my visits to the beautiful Southwest.